#FlyGalFriday Featured Angler Jenny Mayrell-Woodruff

Your name or any nicknames you have?

Jenny Mayrell-Woodruff

Where are you at in the world? Where will you be fishing this year?

SE Oklahoma is pretty much my home but, I also have a house in East Texas since my husband is an Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide for bass on Lake Fork. I also travel to Belize twice a year for my hosted trips to El Pescador Fly Fishing Lodge located on beautiful Ambergris Caye.

What river(s) and lake(s) do you guide/fish?

I guide for rainbow and brown trout year-round on the Lower Mountain Fork River; a beautiful tailwater that rolls through the Kiamichi Mountains in Southeastern Oklahoma.

How long have you been guiding/fly fishing?

I have been fly fishing for about 15 years and guiding for 6.

What got you into fly fishing? When did you start?

Fishing was always a passion of mine from a very young age; it is something my family always did together. I traded the conventional tackle around 15 years ago because, I loved the challenge that fly fishing gave me. I had a very stressful job in the medical field and I found that fly fishing helped me escape the city and de-stress. I thought of it as a healthy hobby!

As a woman guide/fly angler, you’re definitely in the minority. What made you decide to be a guide/angler?

I decided to become a fly angler because, fishing is in my blood and I love the diversity of fly fishing. I decided to guide because, I am passionate about the Lower Mountain Fork River and teaching others Fly Fishing.

Has the fact you’re a woman ever been an issue with a client (such as them hitting on you or maybe talking down to you? If so how did you deal with it/them?

I have had my client get out of their car to meet me and ask me where the guide is and if I was going to take them to the guide. I just laughed and informed the client that I was going to be the guide for the day. I have also been told by clients that ”girls don’t know how to fish” or “they never had a woman as a guide before”. All of this kind of stuff just really makes me want to work even harder to be the best guide I can possibly be and show them that it really doesn’t matter if the guide is a man or women.

Do you think being a woman gives you a different perspective as a guide? If so, how?

I am proud to be a female guide/angler but, I want to be treated like any other teacher of the great sport of Fly Fishing. I will say, I can relate to the challenges of being a woman in the industry. It’s like you have to prove yourself more in order to really get the respect you deserve.

How can the fly fishing industry and community encourage more women to get involved?

Awareness is the ticket! There needs to be more women who actually fly fish recognized in the fly fishing industry media on the local level. There needs to be more fishing clothing/equip developed for women fly fishers and I am not asking for pink everything.

What’s your favorite new piece of gear?

Fishpond Nomad Mid Length Net is my new favorite piece of gear because, it doubles as a wading staff once I wrapped it in paracord.

Best catch of all time?

90lb plus tarpon on the fly in Belize this past July was my best catch of all time.

What’s your “Dream Trip”?

My dream trip would be somewhere in British Colombia for Chinook or Steelhead.

What are some of the best places you’ve been fishing?

Madison, Missouri, and Ruby Rivers in Montana are some of the best places I have fished. The waters are pristine and produce very nice fish.

How do people get ahold of you for guiding / sponsorship?

FLYFISHBEAVERSBEND@GMAIL.COM

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